Cushion for ball-and-socket joints.



' No. 841,570. PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.

c. B. PINOKNEY.

CUSHION FOR BALL AND SOCKET JOINTS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5, 1906.

INVENTOH CRBNOT B-PINCKNEY A TTOBNEYS/ I WITNESSES @ZQ I CABNOT B. PINCKNEY, OF BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA.

CUSHION FOR BALL-AND-SOCKET JOINTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 1907.

Application filed October 5, 1906. derial No. 337,553.

To all whom, it IIIJLI/ concern.-

Be it known that I, (humor B. PINCKNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brunswick, in the county of Glynn and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushions for Ball-and-Socket Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in cushions for ball-and-socket joints, and is especially designed for use in mowing-machines and harvesters, having for an object to avoid the extreme wear ordinarily experienced in the use of ball-and-socket joints; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of a joint provided with my invention, the cushion having its flaps unbottoned at their free ends and flaring to expose the ball. Fig. 2 is a side view of the joint provided with the improvements, the flaps being buttoned. Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the flaps of the cushion closedv and buttoned: Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates the ball and its supporting part. .Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the cushion folded on its central line, and Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the cushion spread open.

By my invention I seek to provide, in combination with the ball and the socket fitted thereto, a packing interposed between the ball and its socket whereby to reduce to a minimum the wear on the ball and socket resulting from the rapid operation of the parts. As preferred, the packing is a plate of leather of suitable thickness according to the size of the socket and ball and applied to the ball and socket, as will be understood from Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the packing thus forming a cushion between the ball and its socket, which cushion will receive the wear, can be easily and cheaply replaced when worn, and will reduce to a minimum the wear upon the ball and socket, thus avoiding expensive repairs and saving time, which would result from the necessity of removing the ball and socket and replacing the same were the cushion omitted. In practice it is found that without the leather packing the socket will only last about three days when actively used, while with the leather-packing it will last for years.

As before suggested, my invention is esi l l pecially designed for use in harvesters and mowers 111 connecting the pitman A with the bar B, connected with the sickle-bar, one ofsections A by a bolt A, by which the socket may be tightened upon the ball, as will be understood from the drawings.

As shown, the packing C has the opposite wings C and C and is bent on a central line to bring the wings C and C up on opposite sides of the ball B, the said wings C and C being in the form of flaps projecting from the body portion C of the packing-plate, and the body portion C being provided on opposite sides of its central folded line with openings C, through which the bolt A may be passed, as shown in the drawings, to hold the packing in position, and the flaps C and C being provided near their free ends one with a button C and the other with a buttonhole C, so the cushion may be securely fastened upon the ball when applied thereon, as shown in Figs. ].-to 4. I also prefer to employ a rivet C passing through coincident holes C in the body portion C of the packing-plate when the latter is folded around the ball, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

It will be understood that in operation devices are connected with the pitnian A to reciprocate the same, and the bar B is suitably connected with the sickle-bar; but as these details form no part of the present invention I have not found it necessary to illustrate either of them or the blades of the sickle in the present application.

hat I claim is 1. The combination substantially as herein described of the ball, the socket-sections, the bolt connecting said sections adjacent to the ball, and the packing consisting of a plate of flexible material having a body portion and flaps extending longitudinally therefrom and having said body portion folded on a central line and provided on opposite sides of the said line with. coincident openings receiving the bolt connecting the socket-sections, a rivet connecting the side wings above said bolt and a button on one of the flaps adjacent to its free end engaging a buttonhole on the other flap for connecting said flaps on the opposite side of the ball from the bolt connecting the socket-sections.

2. A ball and a socket therefor, combined 2o bolt, and a detachable connection between with a cushion coinprising a plate having a l body portion and flaps extending longitudinally therefrom within the socket and on op- I posite sides of the ball and provided with his tening devices for detachably connecting the free end of the flaps when the cushion is told ed about the ball, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a ball-socket, a ball therein, and a cushioning-packing in the form of flaps extended on opposite sides of the ball and beyond the same and interposed between the ball and the socket.

4. The combination with the ball and the socket-sections fitted thereto, of a cross-bolt connecting the socket-sections on one side of the ball, and a cushion having side flaps or. wings fitting on opposite sides of the ball and between the same and the socket-sections and held on one side of the ball by the crosssaid flaps or wings on the opposite side of the ball from the said cross-bolt, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the ball, the socket receiving the ball, and the cushioning-plate folded on a central line forming the opposite wings fitting between the ball and the socket, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the ball, the socket receiving the ball, the cushioning-plate folded on a central line, the side wings extending along the opposite sides of the ball and be- I tween the same and the socket, anddevices for connecting said side wings on the opposite side of the ball from the central fold of the cushion, substantially as set forth.

CARNOT B. PINCKNEY. \Vitnesses:

P. E. TWIGGS, A. B. JonNsoN. 

